Frosterley Primary School

Frosterley Primary School is performing well across all areas, achieving a 'Good' rating in overall effectiveness, the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. The school fosters a welcoming and friendly environment where pupils feel safe and well-supported in their learning. The effective curriculum design, which allows students to build knowledge progressively, and a strong focus on reading help pupils become enthusiastic learners. Additionally, the federation with two other schools has enhanced leadership and collaboration efforts, positively impacting staff well-being and curriculum implementation.

Strengths

• Pupils get along well and instances of bullying are rare.
• High expectations from adults help pupils achieve well.
• Good behaviour and attentiveness in lessons.
• Strong reading programme with enthusiastic readers.
• Well-structured phonics programme supports early reading.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs.
• Strong emphasis on pupils' well-being and social development.

Areas for Improvement

• Early years curriculum lacks detail in some areas of learning.
• Occasional misalignment of support for pupils with SEND.
• Improvement plans lack clear milestones for monitoring.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Frosterley Primary School attended 92.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Frosterley Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Frosterley Primary School had 14.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 31.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 28.1% of pupils at Frosterley Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 21.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Frosterley Primary School received £17,796 and spent £17,626 for each of its 32 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £168,000 (£5,260 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Bishop Auckland · County Durham local authority: places and applications

What is Frosterley Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Frosterley Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Frosterley Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Frosterley Primary School was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Frosterley Primary School have?

Frosterley Primary School has 32 pupils on roll.

What age range does Frosterley Primary School cover?

Frosterley Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Frosterley Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Frosterley Primary School?

Frosterley Primary School is at Bridge End, Frosterley, Weardale, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL13 2SN.